A Dance for Two
by CaptainHooksGirl
Summary: On the anniversary of the Frabjous Day, Alice and Hatter dance at the celebration ball, but what happens when a joyful dance brings back painful memories of the past?


**Author's Note: I don't own Alice in Wonderland...because if I did, Alice would have stayed with Hatter :) This chapter was inspired by tracks 13 and 14 of the "Tangled" soundtrack. If you really want to get a feel for what the music Alice and Hatter are dancing to in the first scene, listen to "Kingdom Dance". The more romantic scene in Hatter's workroom was inspired by 0:30 to 2:30 of "Campfire". Please R&R. **

**A Dance for Two**

Alice curtseyed gracefully to her dance partner, her long, silken blue dress sweeping the floor with every movement she made. It was a magnificent dress, reminiscent of something Medieval with a low-cut neck and sleeves that flared at the bottom both trimmed in gold. A thin golden belt with a large aquamarine stone set in the center hung loosely from her hips, accentuating her figure and accenting the gold highlights of the dress. Admittedly, it was quite a bit fancier than anything she would have worn at home, but the Hatter had made it for her, so she wore it with all the pride of a princess; indeed, if one did not know Queen Mirana, he could have easily mistaken Alice for royalty – the only splash of color among the dancers besides, of course, the Hatter himself, who was always dressed in delightfully mismatched colors.

Tonight Underland was celebrating the anniversary of the Frabjous Day. It had been exactly one Underlanian year (though who knew how long that was in Alice's Time) since Alice had slain the Jabberwocky and one year since she and Tarrant had begun courting. Alice had never been one for balls and formalities, but it would have been rather rude of her not to show up for a celebration in her honor, so she had agreed to participate on the condition that Tarrant would be her escort and only dance partner for the evening. Truth be told, when she was dancing with the Hatter, even the thought of such dull Overland dances as the Quadrille didn't bother her. He could make even the most boring things fun.

At present, they were dancing to a rather slow traditional Underlanian dance. It was easy enough for Alice to learn – bow or curtsey to one's partner, then touch right hands and go in a clockwise circle. There were a few other steps, but overall, the dance was quite simple. And quite monotonous. Though Alice did not wish to seem ungrateful for the celebration, she was growing tired of the wearisome music. Tarrant's voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

"Might I say, Alice, that you look absolutely stunning in that dress tonight. Wherever did you get it?" He smiled mischievously.

Alice laughed and curtseyed again. "Why thank you, kind sir. A certain Royal Hatter made it for me."

He grinned widely, then frowned a bit worriedly. "Do you like the dress, Alice?"

"Oh, Hatter, of course I do! It's beautiful."

"Only because the lady wearing the dress is beautiful as well." As he dipped into a low bow, he paused to kiss her hand. Of course, in his mind, Alice could make dirty rags look attractive.

Alice blushed. "Well, it does make me feel beautiful. You know, back in London, I never felt very pretty. Everyone always wanted me to wear a corset or stockings or make-up. It was like they wanted me to be someone that I wasn't…Like I wasn't good enough for them as just Alice, but this dress is different…" She looked up at him curiously. "Did you have Mirana put an enchantment on it, by any chance?"

The Hatter laughed. "My dear Alice, you fail to understand that it is not the dress that is enchanting but you yourself! Are you quite certain that you aren't a water sprite in that blue dress of yours?"

"Hatter!" Alice blushed again, looking down.

"Forgive me, Alice, but it seems as though I must come up with clever things to say, for the dancing here is quite tiresome." He leaned in close to her ear. "Now, I believe, it's time we had a bit fun!" He made a motion toward the orchestra that was playing, and instantly, the tempo increased.

Alice was caught off guard and had a bit of trouble trying to keep up with the Hatter's new dance steps. This dance, though certainly much livelier than the previous one, was also significantly more difficult. The Hatter gently spun her across the floor.

"B-but Hatter, I don't know all of the steps to this one!"

He caught her in a slight dip so that she was looking into his eyes. "It's not about knowing the steps, love, it's about enjoying the dance!"

As the pace continued to escalate, a few bystanders began clapping their hands and stomping their feet to the rhythm. Even the queen had begun to clap, and Tarrant looked as though he was having the time of his life! There was a sparkle in his eyes that most had not seen since the loss of the Hightopp clan. Alice, of course, had not know the Hatter long enough to remember that look, but if he was happy, then she would be happy, so she played along as best she could, making up steps as she went, and before long, she found herself perfectly in sync with the others, unable to keep herself from laughing. What would her friends back in London think of such a perfectly ridiculous and fun-filled dance?

"There you go, Alice! Let the music lead you!"

Soon the room full of Underlanians had formed a long line of stomping, clapping dance partners, each person adding a bit of his or her own fancy footwork to the choreography, a unique signature of sorts that told who they were.

The Hatter hooked his arm with Alice's and swung her around before tipping his hat. "Milady?"

They clasped hands and, to Alice's surprise and delight, went skipping between the paired couples, who had joined their own hands to form a magnificent archway over the strip of the dance floor between them. The Hatter had to duck down a bit to avoid knocking off his hat, but he was quite nimble on his feet and had no trouble making it to the end of the line. Each couple proceeded in such a fashion down the line until Alice and Hatter were once again at the head, ending the dance with a few rather complicated spins, a flourish of the trademark hat, and Alice landing perfectly within the milliner's arms.

The ballroom erupted in cheers, and only then did Alice notice that she and Tarrant had been the very center of attention. She blushed again, but curtseyed politely as the Hatter removed his hat and took a deep bow, grinning even wider than Chess. He drew his attention back to her. "Oh, Alice!" he huffed, slightly out of breath, "That was, without a doubt, the most fun I've had dancing since…since…" His face suddenly fell. She could see the storm of orange and green fighting in his eyes.

"Hatter? Hatter?" There was no response. "Tarrant?"

The Hatter heard someone calling, but it wasn't Alice. Somewhere, deep in the dark recesses of his mind, he heard another voice…

"_Tarrant! Tarrant! Come dance with me, big brother!"_

_He smiled a gap-toothed grin at his younger sister. Rose was growing into a beautiful girl. Barely eight years old, she already knew how to make a hat nearly as good as the Royal Hatter himself. He took pride in his work, and when she had asked to learn how, he had gladly shown her. She had potential, that girl. With the Hightopps' ivory skin and his step-mother's dark hair, she was the perfect image of a porcelain doll, yet she had the fiery spirit of an Outlandish warrior. _

_He lifted her up in his arms and spun her around until she was squealing in laughter and they were both too dizzy to stand. They toppled over, little Rose landing on top and subsequently using her momentary advantage to start a tickle fight. And they had danced…and danced and danced and danced some more. How he wished it didn't have to end! He had not seen his family in quite some time, and as soon as the festivities were over, he would have to return to the court. He frowned slightly at the thought, but only for an instant. The Hightopps were the best hatters in the land, and to be selected as Royal Hatter from among them was certainly an honor. He knew his father – the previous hatter to the queen – was proud of him, and he did not wish to disappoint him._

_It was time for the Maypole dance. He watched his little sister as she and the other Hightopp children made their way to the pole while he stood beside the White Queen and clapped in time to the beat. He had always loved the Maypole as a child, and he took great pleasure in watching his sister continue the family tradition. _

_And then it happened. A monstrous shadow covered the sun, and electrifying purple flames shot out from the creature's mouth. The screams of laughter were turned into screams of horror as the Jabberwocky descended, burning the village to the ground. The last time he ever saw his sister alive, she was screaming, a look of pure terror on her face, right before the flaming Maypole came crashing down on top of her and the dragon-like creature blew another blast of searing heat._

"Down with the Bloody Big Head! Down with the Bloody Red Queen!" He was flailing wildly about, shaking his fists at the sky, throwing curses at an imaginary enemy. It took three of the White Queen's strongest soldiers just to hold him back. Suddenly, he went slack. He glanced around and blinked a few times, as if trying to get his bearings.

They were staring. A million eyes were staring at him, and this time it wasn't with praise. They were silent, shocked. A few held concern, but most were wary and fearful. He knew what they were thinking, for even in a world where everyone was mad, he was the only one with the word in his title. The Mad Hatter. He lowered his eyes and played absent-mindedly – what a perfect way to describe myself, he thought, for his mind had been absent for quite a few years now – with a string on the sleeve of his jacket. He hated the eyes that stared at him, burning a hole through his back. He could feel them watching, waiting…waiting for him to make any sort of movement so they could scatter like the cowards they were. He hated his own eyes for giving away his emotions, for making him different – a thing to be feared and avoided. There was only one pair of eyes he wanted to see, and they were looking up at him with an almost unreadable expression – was that worry or fear he saw in their depths? He felt the soldiers loosen their grip, and he immediately bent over to reach the hat which had fallen from his head during his outburst. As expected, there was a chorus of gasps – as though he were a wild man that should be put in a cage! But before he could reach the hat, there was another pair of hands picking it up and holding it gently out to him. He took the hat gratefully from Alice's hands but could not bring himself to look back into her eyes for fear of what he might see. He cleared his throat rather awkwardly.

"Forgive me, Alice. Your Majesty." He nodded briefly to first his dance partner, then the queen before breaking completely free from the grasp of the remaining soldier and practically running to the safety of his hat room.

"Hatter! Hatter wait!" Alice was running after him down the great hall but stopped short when she realized he was not slowing down. She turned to look back at Mirana. She didn't fully understand what had set him off, but one look into the queen's dark, mournful eyes was all it took to get an answer to her unspoken question.

Only two words left the queen's lips. They were the only two words that Alice needed to hear to understand. "Horvendush Day."

Alice knocked on the door of the hatting room that doubled as both the Hatter's workroom and living quarters. "Hatter? Hatter, it's Alice. May I please come in?"

There was no response. She cracked the door open slowly, allowing it to moan and creak as it swung on the hinges. In the far right corner of the room there was a lovely little desk covered in ribbons, cloth and a stack of papers with all of the orders for hats written on them. A few hats lay strewn across the work bench or on the floor nearby. To the far left, there was an endless supply of fabrics, feathers, sequins, and decorations of all sorts. And in the center of the room was a simple yet comfortable looking bed with mismatched sheets and a rather lonely looking Hatter sitting off to the side with the top hat in his lap.

Alice stepped inside the room, closing the door behind her, and took a seat on the bed beside him. Silently, she slipped her hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

The Hatter sighed, fiddling with his hat. "Ah'm sorry Ah embarrassed yew, Alice."

"I wasn't embarrassed, Hatter, I was afraid."

His hand went slack. "So, yeh were afraid o' me…Ah should 'ave known."

"Not afraid _of_ you, silly. Afraid _for_ you! I was really worried about you."

The Hatter smiled sadly. "Oh, Alice, yeh should nae worry about the like o' me. Ah'm used tah it by now." He sighed again. "I just wanted you to have a good time, tonight, Alice, and I've completely ruined it!"

"You didn't ruin it. I had a wonderful time – much better than if I had been stuck doing that other dreadful dance all night!"

"It would have turned out better if I hadn't gone mad in the middle of things," he mumbled. Alice started to say something, but he cut her off. "I just wanted to show you how much fun the Hightopps used to have…I wish you could have come to one of our festivities! Oh, you would have loved it, Alice!"

"Was that a traditional Hightopp dance, then? What we performed out on the dance floor?"

The Hatter giggled. "Heavens, no, Alice! That was simply a made-up dance! A bit of a think-on-your-feet exercise to get warmed up!"

Alice didn't know whether to be irritated or shocked. "So, you mean to tell me that were no correct steps to it, then?"

Hatter grinned. There was a slight twinkle in his eyes again. "Just because you are dancing differently from the rest, Alice, do not assume that you are doing it wrong. Perhaps you are the only one doing it right, and they are all simply following the crowd."

Alice smiled again. There was the Hatter she knew and loved.

"I wish you could have seen one of our dances, though. They really were magnificent, especially the Gragodeo [1]. It's one of the most complicated dances we do – er, did – but it was truly beautiful. My mother and father were better at it than anyone else in the entire clan!"

She could see the Hatter visibly sinking. Even his bowtie seemed to droop and his coat seemed to lose its color. She needed to think of something to cheer him up. "Perhaps I still can see it. Would you mind demonstrating for me?"

The Hatter perked up a bit, but stumbled over his words. "W-well, I would like to, but, you see, it is more of a…a couple's dance, and well…I've never done it before…"

"Why not?"

"No one has ever asked me to."

Alice bit her lip. "Would…would you teach me how to do it?"

"B-but Alice, I told you, I don't have any practice. I'm just a beginner myself."

"Then we can learn it together. Besides, I have never seen the dance performed before, so I won't know if you're doing wrong…" She winked. "And according to a certain someone, the steps aren't that important anyway, as long as you're having fun."

The Hatter's smile was back, and before long, they were waltzing across the floor, hand in hand…and just as soon as Alice thought she had caught on, the Hatter threw in another step. It was bit slower than the silly made-up dance they had performed out in the ballroom, but every bit as exhilarating. There was no music, of course, but the Hatter knew the tune so well, he didn't need it, and Alice knew the Hatter so well that she could generally anticipate his next move. It seemed strange, but she almost felt as though she could actually hear the music in his heart. Was that even possible? Well, that would have to be impossible thing number one on her list one day, but tonight, she wasn't concerned about impossible things because very few things are impossible when you're in love.

She felt a gentle hand in the small of her back. "Now straighten up a bit. No slouching! Ah, there you go! Now here comes the difficult part…"

After what felt like hours of dancing, falling, laughing, and more falling, Alice finally got her feet to cooperate and managed to perform all the steps in a nearly perfect manner.

The Hatter was grinning from ear to ear, and he took his hat off in a mocking bow. "Well, Champion Alice, it looks as though you have conquered the Gragodeo, the most difficult dance in all of Underland! Congratulations." But his smile was short-lived, and Alice wondered whether she might lose him to the madness again.

"Hatter? Is everything alright?"

"Yes…Well, no, not really, but…Well, I suppose it doesn't really matter anymore, does it?"

"What doesn't matter?"

"Well, you see, Alice…I'm afraid that I got so caught up in teaching you the dance that I neglected to abide by a certain Hightopp rule…"

"Which is…?"

"The Gragodeo is a very special dance, Alice. One that only serious couples should perform…and one that only Hightopps or those who intend to be joined to the Hightopp family are supposed to know the steps to…It's a bit of a family secret, I suppose. Others are allowed to watch, but usually they're not supposed to join in."

Alice thought a moment before responding. "Well, I suppose that means there is only one solution," Alice grinned. "I must become a Hightopp!"

The Hatter's eyes went wide. "Alice, I don't think you realize what you are saying…Not that I wouldn't want you to become a Hightopp, but I just don't think you really understand what I mean…Not that you aren't intelligent. You are very smart and beautiful and a wonderful dancer and – "

"Hatter!" She looked up into his deep green eyes, her own dark eyes filled with adoration and something else – love? "Hatter, I know exactly what I'm saying, and I would love to take the Hightopp surname if you are willing to share it."

The Hatter was simply overwhelmed with emotion. He didn't know whether to cry or to laugh. _The _Alice – _Champion_ Alice – wanted to marry him! He couldn't believe it! Finally, he found his voice, though it was a bit choked up. "I can think of no one else I would rather share it with…B-but Alice, I'm mad and – "

She silenced his lips with her own in a gentle kiss. "And I love you just the way you are."

The Hatter straightened his top hat. "Well, then, I suppose we should go announce our fine news to the others! But first, I believe I owe you another dance or two, Miss Kingsleigh." He offered her his right arm. "Shall we?"

Upon their return to the ballroom, the music stopped. Everyone froze. The eyes were burning again, and Hatter could feel his own eyes turn a nervous yellow. Every instinct, every fiber of his being told him to turn around and run – run from the eyes that blamed, the eyes that feared and did not trust, the eyes of false friends who would turn on him and whisper behind his back. But Alice kept him grounded. Just the feel of her arms around his was enough to keep him sane, for the moment.

As they stepped onto the dance floor, the crowd parted, making way for the Champion and the madman. But Alice and Tarrant ignored them, and simply began to dance to imaginary music. Slowly, the band began to play again, softly at first, then louder. There were still a few whispers, still a few unkind stares, but Mirana was smiling, and Mally and Thackery exchanged understanding glances. Even if no one else knew what the dance meant, they knew.

The music didn't quite match the song Tarrant had in his head. Alice wasn't quite in step with him. Things didn't go quite the way he had planned them, but it didn't really matter.

The Hatter was lost in a sea of blonde curls and a pair of chocolate-brown eyes, and for the moment, he could forget about the Red Queen and the madness. For the moment, he could ignore the constant stares and whispers. For the moment, he could just be happy because Alice was smiling, beaming up at him with so much love and adoration that he feared her heart might burst with joy! For the moment, he was holding the woman he loved – the woman who loved him – in his arms. And for the moment, she was the only thing that mattered.

[1] The words "gra go deo" (pronounced Graw Gu Dee-o) are gaelic for "Love Forever."


End file.
